Celtics legend calls out Kerr over Tatum’s playing time at Olympics

Celtics legend calls out Kerr over Tatum’s playing time at Olympics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics fans aren’t the only people confused and/or upset over Jayson Tatum’s lack of consistent playing time for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

One of the franchise’s greatest players isn’t happy about it, either.

Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy — a six-time champion and former NBA MVP — spoke to Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe after the United States’ semifinals win over Serbia on Thursday and expressed his frustration over head coach Steve Kerr giving Tatum zero minutes in that game.

“This isn’t just a snub,” Cousy said from his Worcester home Friday morning, per Shaughnessy. “This is an embarrassment for that poor kid all over the (expletive) world. The Olympics have gotten that big. Everyone’s going to think that there’s something wrong this this kid.”

Cousy later added: “I don’t know Steve Kerr, and everything I’ve ever heard about him has been positive. But there’s such a difference between playing a guy for a few minutes as opposed to not playing him at all. And now he has doubled down on it.

“Tatum is on the cover of Sports Illustrated this month. Any experts that I’ve read lately have chosen him in the top five, and sometimes No. 1 in the (expletive) world. Now Kerr is telling the world that he doesn’t agree. In a 40-minute game, if you can’t find five minutes to play somebody on the team without hurting yourself …”

Tatum recently became an NBA champion, and he has been voted a first team All-NBA player three consecutive seasons. There’s no rule that says he has to start every game, play 20-plus minutes or even be in the closing lineup. But to not give a player of Tatum’s caliber any playing time just doesn’t add up.

“Not playing Tatum at all says to the world, ‘Not only is he not top five, he’s not good enough to get into a close game.’ I can’t figure out Kerr’s thinking, and he’s done it twice, so he obviously feels strongly about it,” Cousy told Shaughnessy. “He must think Tatum is a detriment, and I don’t see how he…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-legend-calls-kerr-over-175651567.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-08-09 17:56:51

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